Many vehicles currently in commercialization are equipped with a collision damage mitigation braking function (hereinafter referred to as an automatic braking function) adapted to automatically actuate a brake before and after a collision with an object. Conventionally, automatic brakes in mainstream use have been of types with the aim of decelerating the vehicle, as disclosed for example in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-044520 (see paragraph [0038], etc.). More recently, the types of automatic brakes are increasing for the purpose of stopping the vehicle.
Although automatic braking contributes to the suppression of accidents, such accidents cannot be completely prevented. When a vehicle collides with a pedestrian, it is necessary for the driver to promptly provide a notification concerning the accident, and if the pedestrian is injured, it is also necessary to provide care for the pedestrian. For example, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-041334 (see abstract, paragraph etc.), it is indicated that a communications connection is established between a vehicle and an external organization (a vehicle management center, a police station, or the like), at the time that a collision occurs between the vehicle and a pedestrian.
Cases occur in which, after a vehicle collision, the driver may feel uncomfortable or upset, and thus may fail to actuate the parking brake. In such a state, if the driver carries out a communication with an external organization, the vehicle may start to move during the communication, and there is a possibility for the vehicle to become involved with an injured person on the road, and lead to an expansion of the accident. Further, there is also the possibility that an ill-intentioned driver may try to flee from the accident without providing any notification.
The technique according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-044520 is not related to providing a notification after a collision has occurred. Although the technique according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-041334 relates to providing a notification after a collision has occurred, such a technique does not associate the notification with a brake control, and no control of braking is carried out after the collision. Therefore, with the techniques according to Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-044520 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2005-041334, the above-described problems of expansion of the accident and fleeing of the driver from the scene of the accident cannot be solved.
The present invention has been devised taking into consideration the aforementioned problems, and has the object of providing a device and method for controlling braking during a collision, which makes it possible to prevent the accident from expanding after a vehicle collision, together with preventing the driver from fleeing from the scene of the accident.
The present invention is characterized by a device for controlling braking during a collision adapted to automatically actuate a brake before a collision or after a collision between a vehicle and an object, comprising a collision detecting unit configured to detect a collision between the vehicle and the object, a notification unit configured to issue a notification to exterior of the vehicle in an event that a collision between the vehicle and the object is detected by the collision detecting unit, and a brake control unit configured to maintain an actuated state of the brake during issuance of the notification by the notification unit.
In the present invention, the notification unit automatically notifies the external organization in response to a collision of the vehicle, and the brake control unit maintains the actuated state of the brake during issuance of the notification by the notification unit. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a notification to the external organization immediately after the vehicle collision, and during a period while the notification is being made, it is possible to prevent the accident from expanding due to traveling of the vehicle. Further, since the actuated state of the brake is maintained and the vehicle is incapable of traveling during the notification, fleeing of an ill-intentioned driver from the scene of the accident can be prevented.
Further, in the present invention, the brake control unit may be configured to release maintenance of the actuated state of the brake after the notification by the notification unit is completed. If the actuated state of the brake is released upon completion of the notification, as in the present invention, it is possible to reliably notify the external organization, and further to reliably prevent an ill-intentioned driver from fleeing from the scene of the accident.
Further, in the present invention, there may further be provided an object recognizing unit configured to recognize the object, wherein the notification unit is configured to issue the notification to the exterior of the vehicle in an event that the object recognized by the object recognizing unit is a human being, and the brake control unit may be configured to maintain the actuated state of the brake in the event that the object recognized by the object recognizing unit is a human being. As in the present invention, in the event that the object having collided with the vehicle is a human being, and if the actuated state of the brake is maintained together with providing a notification to the exterior of the vehicle, care can be provided promptly to the injured person, and a so-called hit-and-run crime can be prevented.
The present invention is characterized by a method for controlling braking during a collision by which a brake is automatically actuated before a collision or after a collision between a vehicle and an object, comprising a collision detecting step of detecting a collision between the vehicle and the object, a notifying step of issuing a notification to exterior of the vehicle in an event that a collision between the vehicle and the object is detected by the collision detecting step, and a brake maintaining step of maintaining an actuated state of the brake during issuance of the notification in the notifying step.
In the present invention, the notification is issued automatically to the external organization in response to a collision of the vehicle, and the actuated state of the brake is maintained during issuance of the notification. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a notification to the external organization immediately after the vehicle collision, and during a period while the notification is being made, it is possible to prevent the accident from expanding due to traveling of the vehicle. Further, since the actuated state of the brake is maintained and the vehicle is incapable of traveling during the notification, fleeing of an ill-intentioned driver from the scene of the accident can be prevented.
Further, in the present invention, there may further be provided a brake releasing step of releasing maintenance of the actuated state of the brake after the notification by the notifying step is completed. If the actuated state of the brake is released upon completion of the notification, as in the present invention, it is possible to reliably notify the external organization, and further to reliably prevent an ill-intentioned driver from fleeing from the scene of the accident.
Further, in the present invention, there may further be provided an object recognizing step of recognizing the object, wherein, in the notifying step, the notification is issued to the exterior of the vehicle in an event that the object recognized by the object recognizing step is a human being, and in the brake maintaining step, the actuated state of the brake is maintained in the event that the recognized object is a human being. As in the present invention, in the event that the object having collided with the vehicle is a human being, and if the actuated state of the brake is maintained together with providing a notification to the exterior of the vehicle, care can be provided promptly to the injured person, and a so-called hit-and-run crime can be prevented.
According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a notification to the external organization immediately after the vehicle collision, and during a period while the notification is being made, it is possible to prevent the accident from expanding due to traveling of the vehicle. Further, since the actuated state of the brake is maintained and the vehicle is incapable of traveling during the notification, fleeing of an ill-intentioned driver from the scene of the accident can be prevented.